Ghosts of Contigo
by Aevin
Summary: After learning about his past, Ivan falls in love with a mysterious girl on the journey to Jupiter Lighthouse. But is it truly love, or a devious trap? Can Isaac's group solve the mystery, overcome obstacles and fight their way to their goal?
1. The Shadow of Jupiter

**1. The Shadow of Jupiter**

The sun was setting over Contigo when the four travelers arrived, but the violet stone of the tower on the horizon still glittered brightly in their eyes. The wind blew chaotically, as Isaac assumed it always must in Contigo; even though they were miles from the ocean, the aroma of salt could still be sensed, mixed into a delightful perfume as the winds from the coasts, forests, and mountains all converged on the village. The lazy grass swayed slowly in the wind, as if used to its gentle but constant motion.

"Do you see it?" Mia said excitedly, pointing to the horizon to the north as the fading sun shined in her blue hair. "Is that really it?"

"Yes," Isaac agreed instantly. "At last, we've reached it. And, as far as I can tell, we're still ahead of Felix. We are the first to reach Jupiter Lighthouse."

Mia frowned. "We're not there yet, Isaac," she said. "But to see it at last, after all we've been through . . ."

"I don't remember Venus Lighthouse being that big," Garet mumbled, crossing his muscular arms. "Maybe it's just a trick of the distance. Do you think we'll reach it tomorrow?"

"Yes," Isaac agreed. "We'll get there tomorrow for sure. As for tonight . . . I wonder if this place has an inn?"

Ivan had been perfectly silent since the group had entered the village. He had barely glanced up at the lighthouse on the horizon; in fact, he was more interested in the village itself. Looking around at the shadowy houses and feeling the breeze in his long, light brown hair, he shivered. "This place . . ." he said quietly. "It gives me the creeps. It's . . . it's awfully cold here, isn't it?"

"It's a little chilly," Garet agreed. "But you'll feel better when we're all having dinner at the inn."

But Ivan shook his head. "I don't feel like eating or sleeping," he said distractedly, his violet eyes gazing toward the orange sun sinking beyond the mountains to the west. "Do you think we could talk to some people around here?"

"That's a good idea," Mia said. "Maybe some of them know something about the Lighthouse. The other Lighthouses were just full of puzzles and traps. I think the more we can learn before we go in, the better." She turned to Isaac, the unofficial leader of the group. Isaac didn't talk much, but the others had come to realize silence was Isaac's way of organizing his thoughts. And he was good at it. How simple it was for the others to let this contemplative boy make all of their decisions. . . .

"It's settled," Isaac decided now. "But let's try not to attract too much attention. If Felix and company come through here in the next few days, we don't want them knowing we've been here, and no one knows how far they are behind."

As Isaac and Mia departed to talk to an elderly couple that had been watching them curiously since their arrival, Garet nudged Ivan with his elbow. "I know what's on your mind," he said, grinning. "You just want to use _Mind Read_, don't you? It's been awhile, and you're practically addicted to the stuff."

Ivan was a Jupiter Adept, which meant he could command the Psynergies of the wind. His power also included minor psychic abilities, including _Mind Read_, which, he had to admit, he tended to overuse whenever there were fresh minds available. Garet had once jokingly compared Ivan to a vampire. _Mind Read_ could not be used without making physical contact with someone, and occasionally this got Ivan into trouble. Some people simply didn't like to be touched. But lately, Ivan had grown better at reading people's minds without being noticed at all, particularly when his friends were available as distractions.

"I don't know," he said now to Garet, smiling wearily. "Maybe people will tell us everything we need to know."

"You know it never works that way." Suddenly, the Mars Adept grinned mischievously. "I'll help you," Garet suggested, ". . . if you let _me_ hear every once in awhile."

Ivan blinked. "You mean? . . ."

By grasping hands, Ivan could share his _Mind Read_ with others. Usually, when the group needed information, he and Isaac would go together, asking questions aloud and then reading minds. Isaac would simply touch Ivan and hear everything his _Mind Read_ picked up. But Ivan didn't usually share his ability with Garet and Mia as well--it would just look too strange to have all three of his traveling companions touching him while he was touching the person they were questioning.

"Oh, come on!" Garet insisted. "You and Isaac always get to hear _everything_! I just want to be included just this once!"

Ivan rolled his eyes and smiled at his friend. "Sure," he said at last. Isaac wasn't at hand, and he _did_ need someone to distract his targets.

"Great!" Garet exclaimed, seizing Ivan's hand and pulling. "Let's go, then!"

His violet eyes widening, Ivan was jerked along behind the muscular Mars Adept.


	2. Aria

**2. Aria**

At first, the two of them had little success. In spite of the fact the people of Contigo lived so close to Jupiter Lighthouse, few seemed to know anything useful about it. And, Ivan thought, why should they? No one had ever been inside it, of course. Only a Jupiter Adept such as himself could open the doors of the lighthouse, and although the men of Contigo were well-endowed with muscles, and the women well-endowed with beauty, there were apparently no Adepts anywhere in the village. Garet seemed delighted at the useless bits of information Ivan pulled from the minds of the unsuspecting villagers, but Ivan only grew more depressed. Contigo seemed strikingly familiar to him, and in spite of all his investigating, he still couldn't understand why.

When Ivan and Garet finally sat down in the growing darkness to rest, Ivan looked up to see an old woman watching him. At first, he tried to ignore her, but he had always been self-conscious and couldn't stand her gaze for long. At last, he got up and walked over to the woman; maybe she knew something interesting about the lighthouse.

"Hello," Ivan said shyly to the old woman. "Do you mind if I ask you a question or two?"

The woman's brown eyes widened comically. "I . . . I didn't!" she sputtered suddenly. "I wasn't! I mean . . . I'm sorry."

Ivan blinked. "Sorry for what?"

"I was staring at you, wasn't I?" the woman said, lowering her brown eyes shamefully to the ground.

Ivan chuckled and shook his head. "There's no need to apologize," he said. "I'm sure it's my fault for looking so strange."

The woman laughed at this--a dry, but friendly cackle, but shook her head. "No," she said, "it's not that, dear. It's just that . . . you remind me of someone."

"Who?"

The old woman looked up at the brightening Contigo moon, smiling softly with reminiscence. "There was a child born here many years ago," she said. "The most beautiful baby boy I've ever seen. They said he was most special."

Ivan's eyes narrowed with embarrassment. "I . . . I remind you of a baby?" he asked uncertainly.

The woman reached out and patted Ivan on the shoulder. "Don't take it too hard," she said, "but yes. He was a most interesting little fellow. Blond hair, chubby little face ... But the most striking thing about him was his eyes. Beautiful violet eyes. It's a pretty rare color, you know, but you've got that boy's eyes exactly."

With his violet eyes still narrowed, Ivan stretched out one hand and settled it on the woman's arm. As if it were a prearranged signal, he felt Garet's greedy hand clamp on to his own shoulder as he did so.

The woman chuckled. "You're very friendly, aren't you?"

Ivan tapped into his _Mind Read _Psynergy.

_I remember now_, the old woman thought. _That little boy's name was IVAN!_

Ivan jumped back as if he had been burned, and his eyes widened horribly. Suddenly, he knew why Contigo seemed so familiar to him. He closed his eyes tightly, imagining a tiny baby in a cradle, the sweet winds of Contigo blowing his strands of blond hair, laughing and looking around with his violet eyes. _Ivan_, he thought, and suddenly knew the baby had been himself. Ivan had never known where he was born; he'd been Hammet's servant for as long as he could remember. The merchant had raised him, and for most of his life this knowledge was all Ivan had needed. But now, here, faced with this truth about his past, Ivan felt hungry for more, and eager to solve the mystery of his life's beginnings.

Garet shook Ivan out of his thoughts and looked at him with brown eyes bright with delight. "What a coincidence!" he exclaimed. "The baby's name is the same as yours!"

Ivan hissed at him to be quiet, but the woman seemed not to have heard.

"Come to think of it," she mused, "he would be about your age now, but he'd be much bigger."

"What makes you say that?" Ivan asked, talking quietly and politely in spite of the excited pounding of his heart.

"Well, the prophecies said he would grow up to be a mighty warrior, and, no offense, but you hardly look like a warrior."

His hand shaking violently, Ivan reached out and read her mind a second time. Only Garet could see the swirling Psynergy that surrounded Ivan as he called his power to life.

_The prophecies also said Ivan would save the world. Or was it that he would protect the lighthouse? I can't remember . . . ._

"So," Garet asked, "what ever happened to this kid?"

The woman looked at the two of them, her brown eyes sad and weary. "He went away," she said solemnly. "He was given away, by his parents. I can't remember the details." Blinking catonically, struggling to hide his surprise, Ivan thanked the woman for her help.

As the two of them walked away, Ivan withdrew into his own thoughts. Prophecies, he had learned, had predicted something for him, though it was unclear exactly what. Was he supposed to protect the Lighthouse? A likely possibility, with Felix and company journeying to light it. Maybe, if he prevented them from lighting Jupiter Lighthouse, the prophecy would be fulfilled. But he was doing that already, so why would he need a prophecy to tell him that?

Garet, too, had bowed his head in thought. Suddenly, he brightened. "Hey, Ivan! I just thought of something. This kid they're talking about was born a long time ago, right? And his name was Ivan. Well, you don't remember much of your past ... So, do you think maybe you were born here? Maybe that kid was you!"

Ivan cocked a weary eyebrow, amazed, once more, at how dense Garet could be. "It's possible," he said.

"Really? Wow! Wait 'til Isaac and Mia hear!"

As if summoned by the sound of their names, the Venus and Mercury Adepts appeared ahead from around a corner. Both looked tired, and more than a little confused.

"Hey, guys!" Garet called, jogging to them like an excited child. "I got to use _Mind Read!_ And guess what? It looks like Ivan might have been born here!"

Isaac and Mia looked to Ivan with surprise.

"Ivan?" Mia asked. "Is that true? Ivan? Ivan? ..."

The Jupiter Adept had frozen in place on his way to reaching his friends, stunned by some sixth sense. Someone watched him, he knew. Someone important. Slowly, he turned his head, prepared for the worst.

Leaning against a wall and staring at him was a girl a little older than himself. She dressed in green and violet, with a dark leather vest. Long, violet hair was braided down her back, and it matched exactly the shade of her eyes, which were slanted and vibrant--and locked on Ivan.

He swallowed.

The girl moved from her place on the wall, arms crossed, and walked to meet Ivan. She ignored the rest of the group. "I am surprised," she said in a rich voice which was unexpectedly deep. "Out of all the villagers you spoke with, am I really the only one who recognizes you?"

Ivan blushed, surprised by the attention she gave him. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Come on, Ivan," she said. "How could I ever forget those cute purple eyes? Even if I was only two when I saw them last, your eyes are ... very memorable."

"Your eyes are the same color," Ivan noted.

"All the more reason for me to remember yours."

"What's your name?" Ivan asked, still blushing furiously.

"I'm Aria," the girl answered. "I live in the sanctum just east of town."

Ivan heard Mia gasp. "You live _inside_ the sanctum?" she asked.

"Yes," Aria told Ivan, as if he were the one who had spoken. "But please don't tell anyone. They'd be irritated to learn I'm the only one who can get inside. Besides, they think the place is haunted." She scoffed at the idea. "There aren't even any strong monsters until you get deeper inside."

Unable to help himself, Ivan moved forward and used _Mind Read_ ... and gasped aloud.

The first thing he heard was what he thought of as a mental laugh. Eerie, he thought, and a touch uncomfortable--someone laughing in your mind. It was followed by a strikingly clear thought.

Mind Read_--a nice trick, isn't it?_

Blinking, Ivan said, "You're an Adept?"

"Of course," Aria replied.

"Ivan," said a voice firmly behind him. With an effort, Ivan turned his gaze from Aria long enough to look.

Isaac was glaring at him. In fact, all of his friends were standing together, looking singularly ticked off.

"Let's go, Ivan," said Isaac.

Ivan narrowed his eyes with confusion. "But why? I'm ... I'm trying to talk to someone!"

Mia shook her head. "It's time we were going," she said. "Let's head for the inn."

"But--"

Garet seized him by the arm and began pulling him away from Aria. "Something's weird," he whispered, not nearly quiet enough.

"Definitely odd," Mia agreed. "Something not right with her eyes."

"My eyes?" Aria repeated innocently. "Most people tell me my eyes are lovely!"

"Your eyes are very lovely," Ivan said, fighting futilely as Garet pulled him away.

"Most people think my face is prettier than my eyes," Aria said, smiling shyly.

"I think your face is prettier than your eyes," said Ivan.

"Why, thank you, Ivan. That's very sweet of you."


	3. Moonlight over Anemos

**3. Moonlight over Anemos**

"So ... What was _that _all about?" Isaac asked. All four of them sat on one bed, talking quietly in the candlelight, even though they were the only guests in the inn.

Even in the dim light, the red of Ivan's blush was clearly visible. "I don't know," he mumbled. "It's just ... She seemed really nice, and she said she knew me from when I was a baby. I just wanted some answers, that's all. She's an Adept, so I thought maybe she knew something about the Lighthouse."

"Uh huh ..." Garet mumbled sarcastically.

"Garet had to drag you away from her," Mia reminded him.

"I don't know what makes you think I liked her like that," Ivan said, blushing darker than ever.

"Please," Mia said reasonably. "If you'd fallen for her any harder, you would have died from the impact."

Garet shrugged. "And I wasn't even sure you liked girls!"

"What's that supposed to mean!"

Isaac quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, we'll leave town early tomorrow morning, so there's no reason to see her again. We'll go to Jupiter Lighthouse, and climb to the top to wait for Jenna and Felix. Maybe we can even sabotage some of the puzzles on the way." He turned to Ivan. "I'm sure we'll need Jupiter Psynergy, so I hope you'll be at your best tomorrow."

But Ivan was staring into the dark with shining eyes. "She never looked away!" he said dreamily. "She was looking at me the whole time!"

His friends gaped at him.

* * *

Even with the soothing sounds of his friends' breathing--and Garet's snoring--around him, Ivan couldn't make himself fall asleep. He was too busy thinking of her.

None of his friends liked Aria at all, he knew--they cited as reasons vague things about her eyes, the way she stood, the way she smiled. Mia had said it was as if Aria possessed a huge store of knowledge she was determined to keep to herself, that she might be mischievous and interested in luring them into a trap. Isaac had agreed, talking about a strange, cunning edge in her voice. But Ivan had noticed none of these things. And, try as he might, he couldn't get her out of his mind.

He wasn't sure he liked the girl the way everyone thought he did; he thought he was more attracted to the answers she could give him than the girl herself. He hadn't even spent five minutes with her, after all. But Aria was certainly a lovely one ...

He sighed, thinking of the complimenting violet of her hair and eyes, the pretty angles of her face--cat-like, almost, but indescribably pretty.

Suddenly, he had to imagine her no more, because her face suddenly appeared in a window across from him.

"Ivan," she called, smiling mischievously.

Ivan started, and blushed darkly. He would have to stop doing that ...

"Uh ... hi," he said lamely.

"Come out here so we can talk!" She glanced at the sleepers. "I don't think your friends like me much."

Without questioning the hour, Ivan climbed out of bed and threw a cloak on over his sleeping clothes. His heart beating rapidly, he began putting on his shoes. "They're just wary of strangers," he told her. "That's all."

"I think they're very rude," Aria said. "Not like you."

Before he could think better of it, Ivan crossed the room and leapt out the window. He landed on the dirt outside next to Aria, and pain shot up his legs--it was farther down than he had expected.

"This way," Aria whispered, and walked away into the night.

Ivan followed her along an old stone path that seemed in ill repair. Soon, the dark houses were left behind. Along the crumbling path, the wind seemed stronger without the shelter offered by the houses. The grass whipped violently, as did Ivan's hair and clothes. Far in the distance, now on his left, he could see Jupiter Lighthouse under the pale light of the moon. Awash in the moon's silvery light, it looked like a ghost itself. Ivan shuddered.

"We're almost there," called Aria, her voice muffled by the wind. She pointed ahead. "Anemos Sanctum."

Because of the light of the moon leaving shadows in its hollows, the ancient stone building looked black and ominous. The black walls were covered with various statues and designs, and in the front, carved into the stone floor in front of the sanctum, a huge, circular design stood. Ivan could only wonder what such a design could mean. In the dark shadowy light of the moon, it was hard not to believe the place could be haunted.

While Ivan stood in awe of the black temple of Anemos, Aria seemed unaffected. She walked ahead and seated herself inside the circular design. Smiling in the moonlight, she motioned for Ivan to join her.

When he had seated himself across from her, she said, "It's much nicer out here. Very quiet. Here, we can speak without any of your friends noticing."

Ivan sighed. "I would think the town square would have sufficed."

Aria grinned. "Not for the kind of discourse I've got planned."

He had no idea what she meant, but he blushed anyway.

"Come on, Ivan," Aria said, and smiled heart-piercingly. "Are you blind to the beauty of this place? The moon, the shadows, the spirits of Jupiter whispering in our ears! Isn't it a perfect place to ... talk?"

"Talk ... about what?" Ivan asked. He had wanted to ask her about his own past, but now the girl herself seemed of much greater importance. But how could he interest the girl by talking about her? He hadn't the words to express his feelings, partially because he didn't know how he felt.

Aria considered. "Let's see ..."

Suddenly, she was enveloped in a wave of Psynergy. It swirled around her like a storm, appearing so suddenly Ivan tumbled backwards with surprise. To any ordinary observer, the power would have been invisible, but Ivan was an Adept, so the cyclone of power around Aria was brighter than the moonlight by far. A thin ribbon of this power lashed out, struck Ivan, and he gasped.

_She's reading my mind! _he thought with horror.

This wasn't supposed to happen! He could use _Mind Read_ on others, but his private thoughts were to always remain private.

"Stop it!" he screamed. "Stop it!"

The power disappeared in an instant, leaving Ivan panting on the ground.

Aria looked innocently at him, her violet eyes touched with offense.

"Stop it, you say?" She sounded almost mournful. "I try to share one of the greatest treasures of alchemy with you, and you tell me to 'stop it'?"

"You ... You used _Mind Read?_" Ivan said uncertainly.

"Of course."

"But ... You weren't touching me."

Her smile returned, brighter than ever. "When you touch someone's mind, it goes far deeper than physical contact, doesn't it?"

Ivan frowned. "You called it ... 'one of alchemy's greatest treasures.'"

"That's right. Between two Jupiter Adepts, _Mind Read_ can help them know each other more deeply than any two people have ever known each other." Her violet eyes gleamed into his own. If only he could stop blushing!

"I don't understand," Ivan said. "I've been using _Mind Read_ all my life."

"Then use it on me now."

Ivan's eyes widened when he looked back to the girl and saw how serious she was.

"O-okay," he agreed nervously, and began to move closer.

Aria shook her head firmly. "Not like that," she said. "Stay where you are. You can do it from there."

"But I have to be touching you!"

"Not at all," she said, and he saw from the keenness of her smile it was true. "Just call up your Psynergy, and extend its essence to me."

Though he still didn't think it would work, Ivan closed his eyes and summoned _Mind Read_. The Psynergy which cycled around the boy was a bright purple in color, and hit him in a storm. He could feel it pulsing over him, warm and bright. _It's never been this powerful!_ he realized. _Something's making me stronger!_ Opening his eyes and glancing up at the distant Lighthouse, he thought he knew what it was.

He tried to follow Aria's advice--extend the essence of his Psynergy, she had said--and at first it seemed to work. A sliver of his purple power snaked itself away in her direction. How had he never noticed it before? All he had to do was think toward her! But as his power drew further away from him, it became impossible to go any farther. His Psynergy halted in place, and he was mind-reading the thoughtless air between Aria and himself. He struggled, closed his eyes again, but he had reached his limit about halfway toward her.

"Don't worry," Aria soothed. "I'll help."

Her own Psynergy awoke again, pale, blue-white--exactly the color of the moonlight. It swirled more viciously than Ivan's ever had, rippling her clothes and purple hair with its force. _She's so powerful! _thought Ivan, stunned.

A snake of her moonlit Psynergy lashed forward--not like Ivan's, which had crept slowly forward as he mustered strength.

Suddenly, he was there. His power leapt across the gap, traveling though Aria's power like electricity through metal, and he was in her mind. Her thoughts mixed with his, pouring into his head with disorienting suddenness. Dizzily, he watched the tendrils of Psynergy braid together, watched Aria's power grow faintly purple, and his own aura stain with Aria's moonlight.

_There,_ Aria said to him, though she never spoke. _Isn't that better?_ Her mental voice was indescribably beautiful, untainted by the physical limitations of throat and lungs. The voices in people's minds were often like this, musical, soothing--and Aria's was the greatest of all.

_I ... I had no idea!_ Ivan thought to her. He wondered for a second if she could really hear him. He had never used _Mind Read_ like this before.

_Of course I can hear you. You have no idea what you've been missing. I'm so glad to finally have someone to share this with!_

It was difficult to think when he was like this. Ivan blinked rapidly, as if to clear his vision. The world seemed dim, somehow, unreal. The reality was Aria's mind, and it was impossible to ignore. He could barely move.

_Ivan, _Aria thought. _Will you come closer?_

He scooted closer to her, only vaguely aware of the stone beneath him. He took her hand, because he knew it was expected--he felt it in her mind. The cord of entwined powers shortened as he came closer, their line of communication. They could merge their very souls, and no one but Adepts would ever see! But his friends would understand in an instant. What would they think?

_They don't matter, _Aria thought.

_I guess they don't matter, _Ivan thought.

Aria raised her gaze to the moon, glowing fiercely above the town of Contigo, and Ivan followed her gaze. In spite of its full brightness, the moon looked ghostly and eerie.

_The moon over Contigo ... _Aria thought. _It's very beautiful, is it not?_

_The moon over Contigo is very beautiful,_ Ivan agreed. Then, he kissed her without a trace of embarrassment, because he knew he was supposed to. He had never kissed a girl before--everyone in Kalay had feared him too much to get that close. Because he couldn't remember how it had felt, he kissed her again.

_I love you, _thought Aria.

_I love you, _thought Ivan.

_We love ... _thought both together, and the thought trailed off into the moonlight.


	4. The Guardians

**4. The Guardians**

Mia was always the first one up in the mornings. She was an early-riser by nature, but there was more to it than that. She possessed an internal clock that made it next to impossible to sleep late. If she knew when she wanted to awake, she would do so no matter how tired she was. Because of this, it always fell to Mia to wake the boys. Isaac was a light sleeper--sometimes he would awaken just from the noise of Mia getting up. Ivan and Garet were more difficult. Ivan usually clung stubbornly to sleep as if reluctant to part from the sweetness of his dreams, and Garet ... well, Garet was just lazy.

Mia was so used to this ritual that she had risen and dressed completely before realizing she wasn't the only one awake. "Oh!" she gasped. "Ivan ... I didn't see you there!"

He appeared not to have noticed. He sat cross-legged on his bed, fully dressed and ready for travel. His blond hair spiked every which way, but he didn't bother to smooth it down as he usually did. Ivan only stared blankly into the distance, not moving at all. That was what had made him so difficult to see in the first place.

"How long have you been up?" Mia asked conversationally.

"I don't remember," said Ivan flatly.

Mia raised her eyebrows. "That's kind of strange, don't you think?"

"I don't feel like talking right now," Ivan said.

Blinking, Mia turned away to wake the others. She supposed it was natural for Ivan to be like this. Sometimes, Ivan sunk into strange depressions. He was highly self-conscious, she knew, and tended to blame himself for everything. She'd seen him like this before on several occasions, once after leaving Master Hama of Lama temple, and once before leaving the village of Toreau. Perhaps learning about his past had sparked this depression in him. Sometimes, she had found, it was best just to leave him alone--though that was easier said than done for someone like Garet.

Isaac's eyes popped open at the slightest touch of her hands, but she had to shake Garet for a full five minutes while he groaned and protested before he finally gave in. _You would think with the future of Weyard on the line, he could at least get up on time,_ Mia thought.

When everyone was ready to travel, Isaac called Mia over to him. "What's with Ivan?" he said softly, with a worried glance at the younger boy, who still sat motionless and gazing on his bed.

"_You know_ ..." Mia said with an apologetic shrug.

"Oh, _this_ again," Garet said loudly, and Mia shot him a scolding look.

* * *

The group left Contigo a few minutes later, heading north towards the mountains and Jupiter Lighthouse. Just outside Contigo, plains stretched North, with long grass both beige and green rippling in the constant wind like water. At first, this endless breeze was comforting to Mia. But as they drew closer to the northern mountains, the wind grew colder. Having lived in the frozen town of Imil her entire life, Mia found this chilly breeze only slightly uncomfortable, but Isaac and Garet were shivering violently. Only Ivan seemed unaffected, quietly gazing toward the mountains ahead, thwarting any conversation aimed at him in his flat, dreamy voice. She could never remember him being this bad, and his mood made her very nervous.

They reached Jupiter Lighthouse at twilight, though Mia had an idea it was always twilight here. The plain ended abruptly, and a haphazard walkway of gray stone stretched upward toward the building. The Lighthouse was not at a high altitude, but the air seemed to thin as they neared. All grass had vanished, and huge cliffs dropped to either side of their path--down to the core of the earth, as far as Mia knew.

Set into a cleft between two massive cliffs, Jupiter Lighthouse towered above them, a giant finger of purple and silver stone. Windows and balconies jutted out of its sides seemingly at random, and statues of proud goddesses glared judgmentally down at them. The Lighthouse seemed to have been carved out of the mountain itself, though the job looked incomplete--the base curved out toward them, and one could imagine a similar curve behind, but the back of the tower disappeared into a face of solid stone. The huge door in front stood completely shut.

Staring up at the Lighthouse, Mia felt a foreboding she had felt at neither Mercury nor Venus. This was a land of malice, a land of ghosts, where humans were not supposed to stand. They were not supposed to be here. The wind whistled in the hollows of the cliffs, like the voices of the dead.

Garet seemed not to notice. "Finally, we're here! We sure went to a lot of trouble getting here ahead of Felix--and without the Shaman's rod!" He glanced forward at the Lighthouse with a puzzled expression. "How do we get in?"

Sighing, Mia gazed at the huge doors. "I'm not seeing any markings."

"That's right," came a girl's voice that sounded like the whispers of the wind. "The door is forever closed to ones such as yourselves."

Mia tensed. Beside her, she saw Isaac draw his sword, Garet bear his ax. Ivan raised his head at the sound of the voice.

Suddenly, Aria stepped out of the Lighthouse. That is, she stepped directly out of the purple stone which formed the tower's base. She smiled calmly at the group, and the strange slant of her violet eyes made her look oddly sadistic.

Reveal! Mia rationalized. _There's a hidden door there, and we can see it as soon as Ivan uses _Reveal!

"Seriously, lady," Garet said with annoyance. "We've come to far to let you shoo us off with words."

"That's right!" Mia agreed. "We will find a way inside, no matter what you say."

"Impossible," Aria said. "You stand on sacred ground, and must leave at once!" She turned to Ivan and smiled wider. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

"You must turn back," said Ivan.

Mia whirled to him, her eyes widening. "Ivan!" she gasped. "Are you okay?"

"We are fine," said Ivan.

"Isaac ..." Mia said uneasily. "Something is very strange here ..."

"We'll give you one more chance," Aria said pleasantly. "Leave here ... or die."

"Never," Isaac said, quietly but firmly.

Her Psynergy was instantaneous. "_Wind Slash!_" A series of blades formed of focused air and sound, hammering into Isaac. He screamed and was thrown backwards--only the protection of his own Psynergy kept him from being sliced to pieces. He thumped to the ground, groaning weakly.

Garet attacked. He leapt at Aria, fueled by rage, bringing the hilt of his ax down to knock her out. The hilt came down ... and passed directly through Aria's skull. There was no blood, no sound of breaking bone--the weapon passed through the girl as if she were made of mist.

Staggering backwards, Garet almost tripped over his feet. "G-guys ..." he said fearfully, "I think we've got a problem!"

"What _is _she?" Mia gasped.

Aria ignored all of this. She turned to Ivan. "It's time," she said to him. "Our time has come, the time of our destiny. Step forward, Ivan of Jupiter, and do the duty for which you were born!"

"The Lighthouse must be guarded," said Ivan.

As his friends gaped at him, Ivan stepped forward and took his place next to Aria. The two Jupiter Adepts stared at Isaac, Garet and Mia with their identical, gleaming violet eyes. They spoke together, the boy's voice and girl's voice overlapping and filling Mia with sinking horror.

"You must not enter," said Ivan and Aria. "The trespassers must die."

The message could not have been more clear; two Adepts stood between the travelers and Jupiter Lighthouse--Aria, and Ivan.

The chaos began.


	5. Jupiter Spirits

**5. Jupiter Spirits**

Their Psynergy flashed in simultaneously, and both Jupiter Adepts were encased in a massive, swirling cyclone of purple and silver energy. The wind picked up at the same time, and within seconds all the Adepts stood in a chaotic gale which yanked at their hair and clothes. A thick cord of power leapt between Ivan and Aria, joining the two like a mother and child via an umbilical cord.

"Ivan!" Mia shouted dismayingly over the wind. "Ivan, wake up! Come back to us!"

But Garet didn't waste his time. "What the heck is that?" he asked, pointing to the cord which connected the two Adepts.

"It's _Mind Read_," Isaac said, finally pulling himself to his feet. "I've used it enough times to recognize it. But it's much, much stronger now."

As if in response to these words, ribbons of Psynergy flashed out to Isaac, Garet and Mia. The power encircled their heads like crowns, and sliver-thin lines connected their thoughts to the waiting Jupiter Adepts.

"This is bad," Garet said, gazing uneasily at the cord of _Mind Read _protruding from his forehead. "This is _really_ bad."

"How are they able to do this?" asked Mia. "_Mind Read's _never worked like this before!"

"It's some kind of super _Mind Read_," Garet agreed.

"I don't know," Isaac said. To Mia, he seemed almost infuriatingly calm. "Somehow, when Ivan and Aria are together ... their powers have increased dramatically. I don't understand it myself ..."

"Well, what do we do about it?" Garet demanded.

Isaac considered. "Ivan's still in there somewhere," he decided. "She's controlling him somehow. We've got to find a way to damage Aria--we don't want to hurt Ivan."

"You cannot harm us," said Ivan and Aria together. Mia shivered--their voices were perfectly synchronized, every syllable, every inflection matched. It was as if one mind were controlling both of them.

"Go!" Isaac shouted, and the battle began.

Garet lunged at Aria, and Isaac hung back, focusing to use Psynergy. Mia was quicker, casting _Ply _to restore Isaac's strength--he was still hurting from Aria's last attack. A heavenly apparition hovered over Isaac, a pattern of light in the air which resembled an angel. Isaac stood up straighter, and had almost called his Psynergy when--

"_Glare Plasma!_" screamed Ivan and Aria.

Mia had time only for one curt thought as she leapt out of the way. _Bad_, she thought. _Bad! Bad! Bad!_

Electricity poured from the sky with the thickness of a waterfall, flashing so brightly Mia couldn't see Isaac through the furious blue lightning.

But she could hear him screaming.

Flash after flash, column after column, the attack continued until blue burned on Mia's retinas. She could feel the numb electricity in her own fingers, crackling over her arms even though she was well out of range. Isaac had long since stopped screaming.

Finally, the electricity died down, leaving a smoking ruin in its wake. Huge craters had been torn out of the stone path leading to the Lighthouse.

Isaac lay face-down in the middle of this ruin, unconscious and bleeding.

Mia didn't hesitate at all as she called forth her _Ply _again. But much more quickly than she could cast it, almost faster than she could _think _it, she was thwarted.

"We'll have none of that," the Jupiter Adepts said, and Mia was thrown aside by a whirling burst of wind. _Tornado_--not very powerful, but very fast, enough to break her concentration and knock the wind out of her.

"It's no use," they said. "We can see every move you make ... Like that one!"

With a flash of lightning, Aria knocked a revitalized Isaac out of the air. While the pair had been distracted with Mia, Isaac had regained consciousness, cast _Cure Well_ on himself, and launched himself at Aria. There was no way they could have seen him coming, but of course they had--with_ Mind Read._

Tottering to her feet, Mia looked up at the tendril of Psynergy emerging from her own head. If only there were a way around it! She thought suddenly of the monks of Fushin temple, who had managed to clear their minds totally through meditation. Could she accomplish such a feat? In the middle of battle, she thought not.

The wind cycled around the two guardians, and in its swirling, the images of Aria and Ivan distorted, as if they were just another part of the wind. Violet eyes gleamed, sadistic smiles hovered on their faces.

"This time we'll send you somewhere no Psynergy can ever call you back from!" They moved apart slightly, and each raised one hand into the air.

_Bad, _thought Mia again. She began to run away from Isaac, knowing there was nothing she could do to help--except avoid the blast herself.

"Prepare, Isaac, to feel the ultimate Psynergy of wind!"

"_Aiolus_!" shouted Aria.

"_Aiolus_!" shouted Ivan.

The attack came thunderously, what Mia would later call the "_Pyroclasm_ of Jupiter." _Poor Isaac_, she thought. _Poor, poor Isaac._

There was a massive roar, as if the air itself were tearing open. From the sudden expression on Isaac's pale face, the change in consistency in the space around him, Mia realized with a shock what had happened--the air around Isaac had simply vanished in a massive radius. He tried to breathe for a second, and fell to his knees. Then, the air rushed to fill the space around him, emitting a huge crash like that of waves hammering stone. The wind tore at Isaac from all directions, slamming him against opposing currents like a stone wall. And then an explosion detonated, spilling chaotic winds in all directions, hurtling Mia to the ground.

This time, she never heard Isaac scream at all.

Mia ran toward the fallen warrior, her _Ply _already glowing around her staff. But Ivan appeared between her and Isaac with ghost-like speed, his humble features stretched into a hideous grin, his violet eyes--usually so tranquil--now positively gleaming with sadism.

Mia's jaw tightened. Now it was only herself ... and Garet, who now stood shakily on his feet as Aria approached. The two Jupiter Adepts were perfectly symmetrical as they attacked, Aria for Garet, and Ivan, her other half, to finish Mia once and for all.

And Isaac was probably dead already.

"_Slash!_" shouted the Jupiter spirits as they attacked with blades of air. Mia saw Garet go down, but she would have none of that herself. Without thinking, she dropped, ducked and spun, feeling her momentum in the tip of her staff. Then, she rose, spinning, and out of pure defensive reflex bashed Ivan in the head with her staff.

The boy went sprawling, a choked gurgle emerging from deeper than his throat, from his stomach, as if he were about to puke in mid-air. Saliva sprayed from his mouth, and when he landed on the ground with stunned eyes, a huge welt already swelled on his cheek.

Aria watched with huge eyes as Ivan climbed to his feet, groaning. "How _dare_ you!" she snarled, her voice crackling with rage. Rage ... and something else, as well. Was Mia imagining it? That note of pain?

Ivan did not speak with her.

"Mia," said Ivan coldly, finally regaining his feet. "How dare you strike me!"

"How _dare _you strike him!" repeated Aria.

Mia blinked. She really cares for Ivan, she thought suddenly, remembering the pain in Aria's voice as Ivan had struggled to get up, the way she had whirled from her attack on Garet as soon as he had been struck. _Why does she care about him? She doesn't need Ivan at all! All our attacks go right through her. She's invincible on her own ..._

Her thoughts trailed off, and in a sudden, painful flare, Mia understood.

She raised her staff to attack, but Ivan was quicker. With a lunge of fists and a curl of wind, he knocked Mia to the ground and send her staff spinning out of reach.

Helplessly, Mia raised her arms in defense. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Garet calling up his Psynergy, but could he know? Had he seen?

"It's no use," the Jupiter spirits said triumphantly. "We shall rend your souls!"

And the two of them called forth a dark Psynergy, the likes of which Mia had never seen.

Ivan's disheveled hair was whipped about by the intensity of the wind, and the air darkened around him. But something began to glow red in the black, if illumination were truly what it brought. The power centered in Ivan's hand, a concentration of wind so potent its color looked like blood, and the light it emitted seemed more like darkness in itself. The hideous color alighted on Ivan's face; he grinned maniacally, and his eye sockets had grown shadowy, except for the pupils, which reflected that bloody glow, pinpoints of evil inside a grinning skull.

At the limit of her vision, Garet's red Psynergy was swallowed by that of the Jupiter spirits. But Mia had forgotten Garet. This Psynergy, she knew, the darkest of all Psynergy, could only be cast by someone with a black, wicked heart. All she knew was Ivan's death-like face and the glow of blood in the dark. Seeing Ivan's face twisted, seeing such evil coming from one of her friends was too much for Mia. Cringing, she squeezed her eyes shut, suddenly sure just looking at Ivan's spell could kill her.

"_Bleeding Notus!_" shrieked the two Adepts as one.

An explosion. Mia felt it hot upon her cheeks, and began to scream. But hers was not the only scream. In fact, her scream paled next to another, a single scream from Ivan and Aria, screams not of glee, not even of terror, but agony.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Ivan's smoking body flopping to the ground. Aria was beside him, as if she had been thrown impossibly far from the blow, or were diving for his side.

Panting raggedly, Garet stood a distance away, his own hands steaming from the force of his Psynergy. His eyes were huge, and Mia could all-but hear his mental chant--_What have I done? What have I DONE?_

He had done the only thing he could have done. Since Aria was ghostly, untouchable, attacking Ivan had been their only recourse.

And it had worked. Somehow, Aria's power was tied to Ivan's. Defeating their friend had caused their enemy's demise.

The two Jupiter Adepts lie next to each other, splayed and smoking on the gray stone. Ivan's eyes drooped druggedly, and one hand flailed, searching for something. He found it at last, and the weakening girl at his side clasped his hand in her own.

Sighing out a final breath, Aria whispered in Ivan's ear.

"I love you."

As Ivan's eyes closed, his girl vanished, her form blowing away like smoke in the wind.


	6. Anticipation

**6. Anticipation**

Ivan came to some time later, and he knew he was alone. The pain in his limbs at first consumed all of his strength. He couldn't remember where he was, or what had happened to leave him flailed upon the ground, burns and bruises all over. Groaning, he opened his eyes, saw the faces of his friends above him, and immediately closed them again.

Everything came back to him, in a painful flood for which tears were his only outlet. But the tears would not come. "I'm ... _I'm sorry!_" he moaned, his eyes stinging.

He felt his friends' hands on him.

"You all right?" asked Garet.

"It looks like it," Mia said. "It seems he's more distressed than anything."

"I dunno," Garet said. "We hit him pretty hard."

"Hey!" Isaac said, and Ivan could her laughter in his voice. "We forgive you, all right?"

He opened his eyes. "I'm ... I'm sorry," he muttered. "I don't know what happened to me."

"It's all right," Isaac said. Ivan could see how Isaac's body sagged with exhaustion from the battle. He could vaguely remember striking him down with some foreign Psynergy, but Mia must have been able to heal him.

"You were taken in by a weird witch," Garet said.

Sighing, Ivan sat up, his violet eyes gazing b lankly up at the purple and silver of the Lighthouse which towered over them.

They all assumed Aria had used him, possessed him as a sort of pawn. That she had cared nothing for him, except as a tool for her own purposes. But Ivan knew differently. When their minds had intertwined, and he had breathed her sweet thoughts as if he needed no other nourishment, he had known. Those thoughts could never be faked.

He still didn't know what she had been--a ghost? An illusion? A guardian?--but from her thoughts he had pulled at least one certainty.

She had loved him.

As his friends began looking for clues so they could enter the Lighthouse, climb to the top, put a wrench in Felix's plans, save all of Weyard, Ivan glanced longingly the way they had come, to where the wind stirred the grass gently and whistled in the hollows of the stone. He imagined he could see her there, her beautiful form smiling sadly at him, but in the end he dismissed her as a mirage upon the wind.

* * *

The group was so exhausted from battle and distracted by the Lighthouse that they remained oblivious to the watchers who peered over a rocky ledge above them.

"Finally," Karst said delightfully, her mouth watering not with anticipation of food, but cold revenge. "They are here, and so are we. Finally, they will pay for what they did to Menardi, what they did to _me!_"

"I see it now," Agatio said from beside her. "I understand how Saturos and Menardi were defeated."

"They are strong when they are together," Karst continued. "And who would have guessed the little one possessed such power?"

Agatio's face purpled, and his eyes gleamed red with rage. "Why do we wait?" he snarled, his voice thick, almost unintelligible. "Let's destroy them _now!_"

Karst only glared at him. She supposed there was some truth to what Alex had said of them, after all. The members of the Fire Clan had long been revered, but for their strength, not their wisdom--even the best of them had proved horribly inadequate in solving the mysteries of the lighthouses. Agatio's passionate, if foolish, desire for instant revenge was only another example. She, however, would rise above this weakness. She would be cunning, far more than Alex expected of her. Though she burned to avenge her sister, she would prove herself more than just a brute.

"No, Agatio," she said. "We _could_ kill them now, couldn't we? There are four of them, and together they are strong ... but right now they are weakened, exhausted. We could beat them--and grow exhausted ourselves! And when we climbed to the top, solving all of Jupiter's pesky trials, would we still have the power to force Felix to do what needs done? No ... There's a better way."

Agatio snickered. "Ah ... I understand. We'll follow them. Let them solve the puzzles for us!"

"And when they are exhausted from their climb, when they are least prepared ..."

"Ambush!"

Smirking, Karst gazed far up the tower's face, squinting her eyes against wind and distance. She fancied she could see the perfect spot--a narrow ledge near the top of the tower. It would be treacherous for for to cross, and in the wind she was sure the stone would be slippery.

She grinned at Agatio and pointed out the ledge. He grinned back at her, his smile so sharp it looked full of fangs. Still smiling, the Mars Adepts began their descent to Jupiter Lighthouse.

Felix, they knew, would be right behind them.


End file.
